Enabling a level playing field in business with respect for human rights

Čertanec, Ana (author)

A level playing field is enabled when business enterprises can freely compete in the market. However, they cannot compete freely if different rules apply to them. Therefore internationally accepted human rights have to be respected by all business enterprises, no matter their size, sector, ownership and the state of operations. The purpose of the paper is to identify three criteria by which it is possible to achieve a level playing field in business and to examine the criteria using respect for human rights as an example. Using a descriptive method and a method of analysis, the author argues that without the universal minimum standards of respect for human rights a level playing field in business cannot be possible. This will be feasible only with the adoption of a binding international instrument and imposing sanctions on the international level. Consequently, establishing of an international judicial mechanism with a power to sanction corporate human rights abuse is of vital importance.

• Language: English
• Keywords: corporations, responsibility, legislation, level playing field, corporate responsibility to respect human rights, UNGPs, binding international instrument, international judicial grievance mechanism
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 26.05.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 63-82
• Numbering: Vol. 43, br. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-137463
• UDC: 346
• ISSN on article: 1330-349X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 109917187
• Publication date in RUL: 17.06.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Zbornik Pravnog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci
• Shortened title: Zb. Prav. fak. Sveuč. Rij.
• Publisher: Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta
• ISSN: 1330-349X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 34970368

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
• Licensing start date: 26.05.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Omogućavanje jednakih uvjeta u poslovanju uz poštovanje ljudskih prava

Abstract

Jednaki su uvjeti omogućeni kada se svi poslovni subjekti mogu slobodno natjecati na tržištu. Međutim, sloboda tržišnog natjecanja ugrožena je, ako se na različite poslovne subjekte primjenjuju različiti propisi. Stoga bi međunarodno prihvaćena ljudska prava trebali poštovati svi poslovni subjekti bez obzira na njihovu veličinu, vrstu gospodarske djelatnosti, vlasništvo i državu djelovanja. Svrha je ovog rada identificirati tri kriterija prema kojima je se mogu postići jednaki uvjeti poslovanja te ih ispitati iz vizure poštovanja ljudskih prava. Koristeći deskriptivnu metodu i metodu analize autorica tvrdi da bez općih minimalnih standarda poštovanja ljudskih prava jednaki uvjeti u poslovanju nisu mogući. Također konstatira kako bi to bilo izvedivo samo uz usvajanje obvezujućega međunarodnog instrumenta I mogućnosti nametanja sankcija na međunarodnoj razini, te je posljedično uspostava međunarodnoga pravosudnog mehanizma s ovlastima za sankcioniranje korporativnih kršenja ljudskih prava od vitalne važnosti.

• Keywords: jednaki uvjeti, korporativna odgovornost za poštovanje ljudskih prava, UNGP, obvezujući međunarodni instrument, međunarodni pravosudni žalbeni mehanizam